First Tizen Smartphone Reportedly Delayed Until CES 2014

The first tablet running Tizen was unveiled just last week, but it’s only meant for developers. So when will the first smartphone running the open-sourced OS officially launch? Earlier reports suggested the first Tizen smartphone would hit the market in late 2013, but CNET now claims it may not surface until CES 2014 in January, citing an anonymous Samsung partner.

Meanwhile, Samsung’s first Developers Conference in California may appear to be all about building specialized apps on top of Android, but behind the scenes the South Korean company is apparently pushing Tizen to potential app creators. CNET reports that Tizen’s presence has been felt throughout the conference in smaller discussions, pitches and even incentives offered to mobile developers.

Samsung has become the top seller of Android devices by a large margin, but the South Korean company’s reliance on Google is also a weakness. The search giant has made some not-so-subtle moves to distance itself from the Galaxy-maker, purchasing Motorola to release its own devices and tapping LG to develop its highly-anticipated Nexus 5 smartphone. Tizen gives Samsung a backup plan if the company’s relationship with Google ever sours.

Even if this year’s conference is all about Android, the South Korean company’s efforts show it can play nice with developers regardless of the platform.